Love it or hate it,
since its arrival in 1999 the former
Millennium Dome has become as recognisable a symbol of London as
Tower Bridge.

It usually hosts sporting events and rock concerts, but from June
14th - 17th it was home to over a thousand Vespas.

Rather than the
full four-day experience, which included a rideout and a gala dinner, I
opted for a day ticket on Sunday, the final day of the event.

The car
park, overlooked by a brand new cable car system transporting passengers
across the river to the equally new Olympic stadium, was throbbing with
engines of all size as the scooters arrived, many already laden with
luggage for the homeward leg.

There were Vespas from
Italy, Vespas from France, Vespas from Serbia and Vespas from just
round the corner.

I reflected yet again that the UK sports the
biggest, ugliest motorcycle number plates in Europe. One rather
tatty example from Germany had a sticker proclaiming "Lieber Rost
statt Plastik" -- "Better rust than plastic".

There was no sign of
any rivalry between the twist and go merchants and the old school,
however; we were all united by our love of the Vespa marque. I
could happily have stayed in the car park all morning, but when my
riding buddy arrived with his son on the pillion we headed to the
Arena area to purchase our entry wristbands and check out the scene.

The event moved to the Dome after permission to use the original
site in East London was revoked at the eleventh hour. The stalls and
attractions looked a little small and lonely on the new, larger
site, but full marks to the organisers for sorting out alternative
arrangements at such short notice.

We found a small exhibition and
a number of stalls selling official Vespa merchandise, parts,
accessories, and assorted bling for both scooter and rider. Perhaps
the most exclusive item on sale was the Vespa World Days helmet by
Vespa, in a limited edition of two hundred and featuring the VWD
London logo.

Fortunately for my wallet they had sold out of my size,
but I did buy a couple of stickers and a Lambretta (ssh!)
sweatshirt.

The exhibition focused on the Douglas Vespas manufactured under
licence in Bristol between 1951 and 1965, with some fine examples
provided by the
Veteran Vespa
Club.

The current Vespa lineup
was on display outside, with the new
PX -- a modern geared Vespa! --
attracting a lot of attention.

I was sorry Iíd missed the official rideout on Saturday morning, which took in both Londonís tourist
attractions and the pretty country lanes around
Epping Forest. The
sight of a thousand assorted Vespas in convoy must have been
unforgettable -- not to mention the sound and the smell!

There were
also plenty of unofficial meets and rideouts, giving foreign
participants a chance to experience the traffic jams, draconian
parking regulations and selfish or downright malicious drivers
familiar to those of us who commute in the capital.

I felt for the
Austrian couple who were nabbed by the law on the way to Brighton
for riding in a lane reserved for bicycles, but they reckoned their
experience of the South Coastís roads and views more than made up
for it -- especially as PC Plod relented and allowed three offending
scooters to split a £30 fine between them.

I live in south London
and found myself on the roads near the Dome on both Saturday and
Sunday. On both days I was delighted to spot little knots of Vespas
on the road, visiting scooter shops or just exploring London.

Really, thatís what Vespa World Days are all about: an excuse to get
together, see old friends, make new ones, put a face and voice to a
name from an internet forum; to travel to the venue in a group,
making the journey as much of an adventure as the destination, or
just to get a new badge for the legshield to record the fact that
you had been.

Vespa World Days 2013 will take place in Belgium
from June 20 - 23, 2013. More information can be found at
www.vespaworlddays2013.com.